There are other questions, of course: we’ll get to those another time. But for the moment, being contrary, I’ve decided to address the second one first. This advice is far from being a comprehensive business plan: these are simply a few suggested starting points. If you’re already a bookseller, please do add your own comments and suggestions.

Updated 13th September 2012

Start by checking the UKCBD Town & City Index and by asking around: is there already a Christian Bookshop in your area? If so, it’s unlikely that there will be enough business available to support another: go and talk your ideas through with them and see whether you can work together.

Visit as many as possible of the local churches and other Christian organisations in your area to canvas support. (Thanks to John Duncan for raising this point).

Subscribe (free of charge) to this blog. In particular, look out for the News Roundup reports for latest news and commentary on the UK Christian book trade and the wider world of Christian retail.

Contact the Booksellers Association (BA) – amongst other things they administer the National Book Tokens scheme and Batch, an online supplier payment system which will help streamline your admin. The BA can provide all sorts of information/advice on things to be aware of, possible pitfalls, sources of supply, deals on shop fitting, insurance, legal advice, systems etc. The BA’s Christian Booksellers Group can offer more specific advice for Christian booksellers. The membership subscription is based on your annual turnover.

Consider subscribing to Christian Marketplace magazine: published bi-monthly, it includes regular columns from the BA Christian Booksellers Group and the Publishers Association’s Christian Suppliers Group along with various other helpful features. Subscriptions are currently free of charge to UK Christian retailers.Sadly, Christian Marketplace ceased publication in September 2012

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3 thoughts on “So you want to open a Christian bookshop?”

With regard to setting up a Christian bookshop, how about (assuming you have done Phil’s step one) slogging round as many as possible of the churches within your planned catchment area and asking whether they would be interested in supporting you?

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